YOUNG drinkers hanging around in Coventry were the target of police on booze-busting patrols in Coventry.

Officers from Stoney Stanton Road police station were out using new laws that enable them to seize alcohol from anyone drinking in any public place in the city.

The law is designed to combat the kind of rowdy, intimidating and criminal behaviour that can result when drunken groups hang around.

Police in Coventry say it enables them to tackle one of the root causes of antisocial behaviour on the streets.

PC Greg Rowley, of Stoney Stanton Road police station, said: "Alcohol plays a big part in antisocial behaviour, so this new law is another tool we have to combat that and to make our communities safer."

Last night police confiscated cider from a group of youngsters hanging around in a park in the Fallowfields area of Holbrooks.

The group were aged between 16 and 18.

Officers also took cans of lager from 17-year-olds in Everdon Road, Holbrooks.

The lads were walking down the street drinking from cans.

And when a group of youngsters saw police approaching in Jubilee Crescent, Radford, they ran off, leaving behind half a bottle of vodka which police poured away.

Later police seized vodka and lager from youths in Longford Road.

Sergeant Simon Inglis, who led the operation, said police would continue to combat underage and on-street drinking.

The law came into force in Coventry on October 1.

As well as allowing police to take booze from people in the street, it gives them a power to hand out on-the-spot fines of between #30 and #50.

If people refuse to cooperate with police, they can be arrested and face stiffer fines and even court.

In the past, police could seize alcohol from under 18s.

But police said they were usually hanging around with over 18s, and would just get the older youths to hold their drinks when police were in the area.

Before October 1, police were able to confiscate alcohol in the city centre, Hillfields, and Jardine Crescent, Tile Hill.

It was such a success at combating booze-fuelled antisocial behaviour Coventry City Council expanded it city-wide.